The First Son
by Godell
Summary: Envy's past, told from his POV. 'Mother, I don't want to be called William anymore. It's...it's too normal. I want to be called...Envy.' Mother smiled, and held me in her arms. 'Then Envy you shall be.' EnvyWilliam x OC in the future
1. Prologue

I haven't seen any fics about Envy's past yet, so I'm willing to take a shot at it. Hope you all enjoy.

First Son

By

Godell

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA.

-PROLOGUE-

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Funny how life works, huh?

Here I am, sitting on my favorite tree in the middle of mother's—no, Dante's—garden, surrounded by flowers of every kind. I should have last seen those flowers, this whole landscape over 400 years ago.

I should be dead.

I remember every last bit of my past, from the day I could walk to my "dying" day. It's all there. Every tear, every laugh. It's killing me inside.

Well, not really. It gives me something to do when the Old Hag gives me time off. Something to fuel my envy.

Do you really want to know how I became like this? How I went from innocence to madness?

Fine by me. Just sit back, and enjoy the ride.

Oh, and I would recommend you have at least some sort of weapon with you…I just might get violent…

-Envy, the First Son and Sin

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I know the prologue's short…just bear with me, please? R&R! I'll give you Envy's headband if you do! (twirls it around on her finger) Ooh…it's silk. Yummy.


	2. Chapter 1: Mommy and Melinda

Now for chapter 1! …I know, I only just began this fic…but I just got a LARGE burst of inspiration, so… (hands out Envy's headband to reviewers)

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA.

Chapter 1: Mommy and Melinda

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I was born on November 12, just before sunset. Hohenheim—how can I call him Father now?—had been unable to visit Mother in the hospital. Mother brought me home to see him for the first time. Even then, I looked almost exactly like him—quiet, thoughtful chocolate-brown eyes peering out at the world through thin wisps of hair.

I was named William a few days later, after Mother's father. That day, the whole world seemed to be smiling, or so I was told. I never did find out Hohenheim's reaction to her naming me, and not him. Either way, for a few years, we were happy. At least, that's what I remember.

Blurry smiles, warm voices…bright sunlight…

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_2 years old…_

"Mommy! Mommy, where are you?!" I asked, scampering across the library. "What is it, dear?" Mother asked, her long, black hair cascading down her back as she slowly walked up to me. "Me hurt. Bad." I sniffled, showing her my bruise. "Oh, my. Where on earth did that come from?" she asked, taking my toddler hand and leading me to her favorite rocking chair. "Me was playing in the gar-den…and I trip-ded." I explained, trying to get my tongue around the words. "'Trip-ded', hm? Well, don't worry. Mommy's going to make it all better." Mother laughed gently. I smiled. "Really?"

"Really. Now, your Daddy said that he was going to be coming home today, so we'd best get you prepared, right?" I nodded rapidly, feeling a burst of joy rise up from my chest. He was coming home! My Daddy was finally going to show me his surprise! Giggling wildly, I leapt into Mother's arms, wrapping my pudgy arms around her.

An hour later, I was changed out of my muddied green pants and white shirt, and placed into a cream-colored tunic with dark-brown slacks. My blonde hair had been brushed to the side, making me look far too feminine for my taste, even though I was only a kid.

"Mommy…do I have to wear this?" I whined, picking at my ruffled sleeves. "Yes. You must, after all, impress your father. Now, chin up. I can hear his carriage already." Mother answered, a gleeful expression on her beautiful features. I listened carefully.

After a few futile seconds, I could her the _clop, clop, clippity-clop _of Hohenheim's horses. "DADDY!" I cried, and raced out the door, not heading any commands from the servants or my Mother.

Hohenheim gracefully leaped out of his lavender carriage, thanking his hired driver (and the horses) profusely. Then, turning towards our home—a large, deep-colored mansion—he looked down and caught my eye. "Ah, William. It's been a long time." he smiled, lifting me into the air and letting me see the wide world from his viewpoint. "Whoa! Daddy, you can see everything!" I laughed, stroking his growing beard. "I may _see _everything, but it will be you…who really feels everything." Hohenheim sighed. "What d'you mean?" I asked. "Oh, nothing. Come on, let's go inside. I'll bet your Mom is waiting for you."

His "surprise", of course, was a book on Alchemy.

Both Hohenheim and Mother taught me what they could about their chosen art. Within a few months, I could transmute a block of wood into a flute. Not a very elaborate flute, but it was something. "William, it's marvelous!" the cried, clapping until their hands were sore. Either way, I was proud of my work. Soon, I was transmuting everything I could get my hands on. Most of my attempts were…less than satisfactory. (For example, my pillow that I tried to transmute into a teddy bear was never the same again.) As it were, I was amused for a little while.

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_4 years old…_

--

Melinda was a kindred spirit, no doubt about it.

Her raven-black hair, always tied in a ponytail, constantly seemed to frizz under the sun. With piercing blue eyes, a devil-may-care smirk and a "interesting" choice of dress—in other words, a pink and orange miniskirt and green sweater with banana-yellow boots—she immediately captured my interest.

Ignoring the fact that Mother had introduced me to her so I could "Have a new hobby", I enjoyed the thought of having a new friend. Soon, the two of us were running merrily across Melinda's backyard, which was covered in flowers of all kinds, just like at Mother's. Better yet, Melinda and her parents lived in a small village not too far away, making it easy to come and visit her as much as I wanted. It was perfect.

It wasn't long before I had convinced Mother to take on an apprentice in Alchemy.

Three guesses who.

With my help, Melinda soon knew at least the basics of Alchemy, and how to use a minor transmutation circle. Her first attempt resulted in a deformed toy block with the letter "M" on it in magenta. It was a great first try, as far as the three of us were concerned. Again, Hohenheim was not around to see this happy moment. I began to have doubts about him. Was he off on a quest? Was he with another woman? Would he come back? I didn't know for sure. I don't think I ever will know, really.

All that mattered was the fact that he wasn't there.

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Is this a good chapter? Is it lousy? Does it need work? R&R! I'll give you Hohenheim's Alchemy book if you do!


	3. Chapter 2: The BloodRed Stone

Hi again! Thanks so much to all who reviewed the last chapter! n.n In this chapter, I plan on making Dante more…evil. Why? Because that's how I normally envision her, I guess. Anyway, let's move onward! (Flings Alchemy books into reviewers hands) WHEE!

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA, only Melinda Dominque. YES, that is her last name. Cool, huh?

Chapter 2: The Blood-Red Stone

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Mother used to always carry a large stone in her dress pocket, which gleamed eerily in the candlelight.

It was the color of blood, and nearly flawless. Apparently, Hohenheim had one too. It was so beautiful, it took all of my willpower not to touch it. Melinda could barely resist herself. Mother seemed to enjoy watching us struggle.

"Mommy, what is that stone?" I asked one day. Mother smiled, walking over to her rocking chair and placing me on her lap. "It's called the Philosopher's Stone, dear. It brings me eternal life." she explained, running her fingers through me blond locks of hair. "Eternal life?" I asked, eyes wide. A nod. "Yes, William. But everything requires a payment. You've heard of Central City, correct? This stone here came from the wreckage of the old city, which is now deep underground."

I gasped. "So…that stone…it's magic?" I questioned. 'In a way. Now, go and find Melinda. It's time for the two of you to have your Alchemy lesson."

Obediently, I climbed out of the wooden chair and out the door.

--

"So…Mrs. Dante's stone is magic?" Melinda asked from her position in the branches of an apple tree not far from the entrance of our property. "I guess. She said she got it from old Central. Do you kniw anything about it?" I queried, climbing up to sit beside her. "A little. It's a beautiful city, filled with Alchemists and soldiers of all ranks. Oh, and there's that Furher guy. He runs the country." she stated, pointing to her tiny fingers for each thing she mentioned. "Wowww…" I whispered in awe. "Isn't it, Will? I used to want to go there on my birthday. But that was before I met you." Melinda giggled, and patted me on the back. "Now, let's hurry up and get to our lesson, pronto!"

--

That day's lesson was on the law of Equivalent Exchange. "In return, something of equal vakue must be lost." Melinda and I recited, our hands folded primly on our laps. "Good. Now, let me tell you something…" Mother smiled grimly, motioning for us to lean in closer; we shivered with excitement. What new secret would we learn today?

"Sometimes," she whispered, eyes narrowed in a way I'd never seen before "that law isn't always true."

Melinda and I looked at each other in confusion. What did that mean? Was Equivalent Exchange something that only worked now and then?

Mother smiled warmly at us, her eyes did not. "Remember what I told you, William? About Central City?" she questioned, turning her midnight-blue eyes towards me. I nodded. "The Philosopher's Stone was the result of a band of foolish Alchemists who tried to perform a Human Transmutation…to bring someone back from the dead."

I felt a small scream force itself through my lungs. "B-Back…from the—?!" I screamed, scrambling out of Mother's reach. Melinda stared at Mother in disbelief. "So…that Stone…was _made _from their payment?!" she cried, her long black hair covering her face from view.

"Indeed. As I said before, laws can be broken." Mother smirked, rising to her feet. "I think you have learned enough today. Run along and play." It sounded more like an order than a permission of absence. Jumping to our feet, we ran out of the house, into the safety of the garden.

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This chapter's rather short, I know, but I've been writing this while I'm recovering in the hospital from hip surgery. (cheesy Armstrong pose) Healing first, fanfic later! n.n Anyway, I'll try and update as soon as I can. R&R! I WILL GIVE YOU… (holds up a fistful of ivory combs with certain locks of hair attached) …A LOCK OF ENVY'S HAIR IF YOU DO!!!!!


	4. Chapter 3

Before we begin the 3rd chapter (YAY!) I shall do several things:

I shall hand out the headband, Alchemy book and, of course, the combs with locks of Envy's hair attached. n.n Forgive my sleepy-forgetfulness, no da.

I will answer FMA Fan's question. I believe that children instinctively know if something is going on within their family. Kids are very sensitive to people's emotions—especially their parents. Also, Envy IS a pretty smart kid, ne?

With that done, let us continue on with the fic, no da! THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS! They really keep me going!

…This is the longest introduction I've ever put. O.O

Disclaimer: I do not own FMA, only Melinda and Roger, a cameo character.

Chapter 3:

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_7 years old…_

"Mom! Look what I found!" I whooped, racing towards Mother with Melinda close behind.

"What is it, dear?" Mother asked, a smile on her face. I found it hard to believe that she had "stolen" the lives of an entire city. Then again, that was why Melinda and I had been studying the history of the Philosopher's Stone in the first place for the past three years—to find out exactly why she needed it in the first place.

I placed a book in front of Mother's face. "See? It's Dad's notes on the Stone! It's sorta hard to read, though. Can you read it?" I asked, a hopeful grin on my face. "…Perhaps. But you really shouldn't concern yourselves with this. Perhaps when you're older. In the meantime, keep working on your Alchemy. I'll test you tomorrow." Mother replied after a few moments.

Nodding glumly, Melinda and I shuffled off, wondering if we would ever be old enough to learn everything about Hohenheim and Dante.

--

Our "lab", as we called it, was more like a walk-in closet. It had a large stack of books in one corner, a shelf filled with vials near the doorway, two wooden desks with dust-covered gold "claws" on their legs, a small bed, and at least ten Alchemy circles along the floor. There was an ample amount of chalk on each of the desks.

As we sat in the "lab" on that day, Melinda and I began to contemplate another unexplained phenomena, when we heard the postman coming up the road. Since our hideout basically jutted out of the wall that surrounded the house (it was located at the back way), we were able to run up to meet him first, since he never went through the front gate.

"Roger! Hi, over here!" we called, screeching to a halt in front of the teenager. "Hey, if it isn't Will and 'Linda. You guys have grown. And is that a ponytail, Will? You've been around girls too much." the postman laughed. "Sh-shut up, Roger." I retorted, trying to puff out my chest, to no avail. Melinda giggled, and turned back to Roger. "Do you have any mail for us?" she queried, glancing at the large burlap bag that our friend carried.

"Yup. Let's see…for Lady Dante, a letter from a mister 'Hohenheim of Light', and for you, 'Linda…" The sentence was unfinished. Handing the letter to my friend, Roger smiled sadly and set off on his way once more. Shrugging, I said "Let's bring these in to Mom, okay?" Nodding, the two of us raced back inside, our hearts filled with joy.

--

"No, no, no, no, no…"

"Please, Melinda, stop crying…you still have us…"

"Stop it, William! Grandma is dead. **_My _**Grandma. There's nobody else I love more than her…"

"Dear, please don't cry. It'll be alright."

"No, it won't. It can't be. She's dead. The letter says so…"

"'Linda, why don't we have some hot choco—"

A loud noise…a burning pain…

"Shut up, Elric! _Shut up. _You don't understand! You have _parents_, you idiot! I don't have anyone anymore!"

Tears…shock…blinding anger…

"What makes you think I don't know about your grief?! And since when am I just 'Elric'? Did you ever see your Grandma cry at night, when you were supposed to be asleep?! _Did you, Melinda_?!"

"N-No…"

"THEN YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CALL ME AN IDIOT! YOU SAY I DON'T UNDERSTAND, BUT I DO! **_I DO!!_**"

Mother's warm hand on my shoulder…is it raining?

"It's alright, dear. Go ahead and cry, both of you. It's alright."

A small sniffle, two skinny little arms around my waist…

"I-I'm sorry, Will. I'm just…really confused, and sad. Hurt, too. Can you forgive me?"

A small smile. Perhaps there's hope after all…

"If you forgive me for not understanding. You're right, I haven't seen a loved one die, but I've seen one cry, and that feels just as bad."

"It's okay. Let's stay like this for a little while, okay?"

Silence. Do I accept?

"Okay."

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So, that's it for chapter 3. I know it wasn't amazingly eventful, but I've been healing up from the surgery, so… R&R! I'll give you the hot chocolate that William/Envy had suggested to Melinda! Mmm…hot chocolate…


	5. Chapter 4: A Fateful Trip

So, then. I decided on working on the fourth chapter of "First Son" at last. n.n I'll be fixing a few things on the previous chapters…when I figure out how. (is such an idiot) Gehhh… Anyway, what're we waiting for? Time to get to work!

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA, only Melinda and the villiage of Vall. I own William too, in a sense. I'm not saying I own Envy, just this version of him. Make sense? Good.

Chapter 4: A Fateful Trip

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By the time it was winter, Hohenheim and Mother had decided that it was time Melinda and I saw a little piece of the outside world.

Informed of trouble down at a nearby village involving polluted water, Mother and Hohenheim hurried over to their carriage (now with animal skins to keep them warm) and brought us along for the ride. They were taking a great risk—it had only been nine years since the Black Death had ended, and nobody knew for sure if it would somehow come again. However, Melinda and myself were still young, and couldn't care less about the terrors that the Black Death created—we were going to see the world beyond the mountain we had lived so peacefully on.

--

"Mommy, can we come with you to help with the water?" I asked, holding on tightly to Mother's dress. "No, dear. This is adult business. Why don't you and Melinda play with the other children, over there." Mother pointed to a group of grubby children laborously building a snow fort near a shivering merchant stand. I nodded glumly.

"Will, look!" Melinda laughed, pointing to a group of boys who were harassing a tall, stern figure dressed in a black cloak. They looked to be about 16, and were amusing themselves by throwing snowballs at the mysterious man's unprotected back. The man snarled at the miscreants, and began chasing after them in rage.

"Should we help them out?" my friend asked, turning to me with a mischievous grin on her features. "…No. He looks mean." I replied, and turned away. "But that's the POINT, Will! We have to make all the meanies in the world go away. That's what Alchemy is all about!" Melinda argued.

_Alchemy?! Oh, no. That sounds like trouble… _I thought, feeling uneasy.

"I said no. We'll get in trouble. We don't know who that man is, either. For all we know, he could be some hero or something like that." I replied, taking Melinda by the hand and leading her away. "No! I want to show the world what I can do! Besides…"--my friend's voice dropped to what could be called a seducing whisper—"You could help out humankind. Fix a few things, build a new well for that old crone by the fish stand. We could even be paid."

Back then, Melinda was the one who made all the major decisions. I normally would whine and argue that the whole idea was ridiculous, and that we should listen to our elders. But the longing for adventure—and glory—won out in the end.

"All right. Let's go!"

--

"Thank you so much, young man!" an elderly woman coughed, handing me a copper peice.

I gingerly handed the newly-fixed water pitcher to my latest customer. "N-No problem, just here to help, that's all." I stammered, stepping back from the hacking crone. Turning on my heel, and padded along the so-called "street"—really just a few stones pushed side by side—to find a another person in need.

So far, I had obtained a shiny green marble (from a pretty young girl about my age), a gold piece from a merchant for helping fix his torn cloth, a piece of string from a pathetic-looking peasant man in his thirties, a dead cat from a scruffy-looking teenager which I threw away after he slithered off, a pocket watch from another merchant, and of course the copper piece from the old lady.

All in all, there was no real money made, except for the gold and copper piece.

I was about to just give up and search for Melinda, when I was roughly stopped by a pair of armored, wash bin-sized hands grabbing me by my shoulders.

"Halt, young one. You are not going anywhere!" a knight decked in shining armor and green cloth rumbled.

"Do you even know who you're dealing with, you fool?! Let me go!" I roared, struggling to free myself of the knight's grip of iron. My captor laughed, and turned me to face the same mysterious man we had seen earlier. "I should be asking _you _the same question, you rodent!" he sneered, shoving me onto the snow-covered ground.

Feeling the bite of the cold lance across my face, I squeezed my eyes shut in—a hate even admitting it—fear. Fear for the unknown is an all-too powerful thing, especially when you're a child. I heard the sound of a piece of cloth being released to the wind, which had begun it's eerie wail once more.

A smelly, wrinkled hand lifted me up by my long, honey-toned hair. It was such a rough jerk that a few drops of blood shot out of my mouth. I forced myself to look up, then wished that I had not.

I had never seen such a foul image of old age before in my life.

The man's head was nearly bald, save for a few tiny strings of hair that floated around his dome. His eyebrows were as white as snow, and his piggy, onyx eyes as feverish as a candle slowly dwindling. What he assumingly called a nose I would call a snout. His hands looked to be almost sewed on, for they seemed to be rotting and skinless under the folds of his cloak. About him was the odor of fish gutted in the hot summer sun.

"Who are you, boy?" croaked the man, seemingly oblivious to his minority of teeth, and his stench.

I stood silent for several minutes, simply gaping at the man in horrific fascination. I had never seen someone as foul as this before. Age had never mattered in Mommy and Hohenheim's house. This was something completely new and frightening to me.

Then, I came to my senses. If I told this…this man my name, he would hunt all of us down and do…something terrible, I was certain. Thus, I decided that I would give myself a false name.

I hurriedly began to think of all the names I knew from the books around the house. Nothing Latin—there'd be hell to pay if I couldn't pronounce my own name! No Greecian, either. As cool as those names were, somebody was bound to recognize them, and call me a liar. No Greecian. Biblical names? The only reason I'd even heard of any names from that text was from the peasants around here, and I had no idea what they even meant. I was running out of options—the old man was getting angry, I could tell—when a sudden, random word hit me square in the chest (or was it the knight's fist? I'll never know):

Envy.

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Oooh, a cliffie! I'm sorry for taking such a long time—work began to pile up, and with the holidays… Anyway, R&R please! I'll give you the merchant's pocket watch if you do!


	6. Chapter 6: A Fateful Trip Part II and Th

Hey hey hey! I'm back with another chapter of The First Son! Yay! Er…sorry I've been gone for so long, but…you know…homework, surgery, and healing can be rather difficult. Anyway, here we go!

Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own FMA, only Melinda, William, and the "Priest".

Chapter 5: A Fateful Trip Part II and The Beginning of the Journey

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_Last Time…_

_I was running out of options—the old man was getting angry, I could tell—when a sudden, random word hit me square in the chest (or was it the knight's fist? I'll never know):_

_Envy._

_-----_

I spat out another few drops of blood, and gasped "My name is Envy. Do you have a problem with that, you slug?"

I felt a deep hatred rise within me. This was the first time I had ever felt this way. It was new, foreign…terrifying. What had I done to this man to deserve this? I had only wanted to help.

The old man scowled down at me. "You have been discovered using the Forbidden Art, AND you claim to be one of the Seven? That is far more interesting then someone of your age could come up with. As a follower of He-Who-Gives-Life, I must release your influential sin from this humble village."

After that "grand" speech, everything went black.

--

_Pain. So much pain. Do I hear laughter? Hundreds of mirthful voices… It hurts. Why does it hurt, Mommy? Tell me I'm dreaming. Please…_

"Will!" a voice screamed out among the roar. A new sound filled my ears: the sound of three pairs of feet pounding towards me.

_Could that have been Alchemy? The laughter stopped. Help me. I'm not a sin. Take away the pain. _

I felt warm, comforting arms wrap around me. "My boy…William…they'll pay. You'll see. I promise." Mommy sobbed, hot tears falling onto my back. A burning pain crossed my spine. A primal scream rose from my throat, possibly shattering everyone's eardrums.

_STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!!! NO!_

I hadn't opened my eyes yet. I couldn't, I realized. That was definitely not normal. I didn't have time to ponder it as once again I lost consciousness.

--

I awoke in my own bed, covered with soft pillows and wet towels.

"What happened…?" I groaned, rubbing my eyes and blinking in the sunlight. Melinda, who had been sleeping beside me unnoticed, spoke up "You were getting hurt, Will. It was terrible." I nodded; I remembered _that _clear as day. A knock on the door resounded throughout my room. "Come in!" I called, hoping I would see Hohenheim at the doorway, hoping to talk with me. As usual, it was Mommy instead.

"I'm glad to see you're awake." she said coolly, though her eyes deceived her—they were full of relief at the sight of seeing me sitting up in bed. I grinned, holding out my hands expectantly. Smiling, Mommy calmly walked over to where I was sitting, and placed me on her lap. "You realize that you and Melinda were very naughty." she began, as my friend crawled to my side.

"We were?" I asked, worried. This wasn't going too well.

"Yes, dear. You see, alchemy is a forbidden art for most people. To just openly show it to the most religious town in the area is not exactly the wisest choice. That priest is hardly the agreeable type. Your lucky he didn't kill you, you know." Mommy explained. I shuddered, waiting for her to continue.

"You probably don't know what happened to you, do you? It…It was horrible to watch. Do you know how your Father and I felt? Watching our baby boy be branded in front of us?" she ground out, warm hands turning to fists of stone. I stared at her in confusion. Branded? What was that?

"I don't understand, Mommy. What's it mean to be branded?" I asked, clasping her hand tightly. Melinda looked down at the ground, her bangs obscuring her eyes.

Mommy sighed, and turned to my dearest (and only) friend. "Melinda, dear, fetch a mirror, please. William, take off your shirt." she ordered, nervously fiddling with her hair. Obediently, I pulled my tunic off, and folded it neatly on the coverlet. A mirror was placed in front of me. "Turn around, dear." Mommy again ordered. Nervous, I slowly pivoted, my back now facing the mirror.

Craning my neck to see, my eyes widened in horror and disgust. My mouth formed a mute "o", my face a mask or terror.

The word "ENVY" had been burned into the skin on my back.

"Why…why did they…?" I managed to gasp out. Melinda sobbed, clinging to me as tightly as she could. "They said…that you had said that you were one of the Seven Deadly Sins…and they decided that you needed to be cleansed of your evil!" she wailed, clinging to my arm. Tears began to prick at the corners of my eyes. "I was so foolish...I'm sorry." I muttered, turning from the mirror.

Walking over to my small bookshelf, I picked up a medium-sized book with silver lettering on it's spine: _Humans and Their Existence. _I'd never really looked at it before, simply passing it by. Now, I hurriedly flicked through the slightly-yellow pages, remembering Hohenheim speaking of this book before.

Finally, I found what I wanted:

**The Seven Deadly Sins **

I ignored Greed—that Sin I'd known about for awhile now. Pride, too, I mentally threw aside. Lust I quickly skipped—that I didn't want to know about, AT ALL. Sloth, I knew. Gluttony and Wrath, likewise. Finally, at the bottom of the page, was the Sin I'd looked for.

**The Sin of Envy: To desire what is possessed by others; wealth, family, rank, etc. The punishment for this Sin: In hell, you will be encased in ice.**

"So, then." I sighed, envisioning the brand across my back. This is what it all came down to. My foolishness cost me pain, and sorrow for my family. I certainly felt as though I was encased in ice at that point. Minutes passed. Finally, I made a decision.

"Mother, I don't want to be called William anymore. It's...it's too normal. I want to be called...Envy." I proclaimed, realizing just how momentous this really was. I was shedding a part of myself, and creating a new me. Mother smiled, and held me in her arms. "Then Envy you shall be."

--

_12 years old…_

"Mother, we're ready to go!" I called, hoisting my traveling bag onto my shoulders. Melinda hurriedly stuffed a few little treasures into her own bag, having difficulty getting it off the ground. "Will—I mean, Envy—can you come and help, please!" she sighed, leaning against the wall for support. "All right!" I laughed, and walked over to the lumpy object.

"On three, ready? One…two…" we chanted together, heaving the bag with difficulty through the door. A loud crash was soon heard. Melinda and I looked at each other in horror. "We didn't throw the bag, did we Envy?" Melinda asked innocently. I nodded. "Right, 'Linda. It was foolish to put the priceless vase there." I agreed.

After hurriedly repairing the vase with alchemy, the two of us trudged to the front door of the mansion, where Mother and Hohenheim were waiting. "Good, you're already prepared. Now, you two are going to be seeing the real world now. From here on, we're going to teach you everything you'll need to know about life firsthand. Every year in the summer, we will come back here to relax for a few months. Until your 17th birthdays, your home will be the open road, or an inn. Understood?" Hohenheim declared, looking sternly down at the two of us.

"Yes, Mr. Hohenheim/Father." We chorused. Smiling, Mother opened the door and walked out into the sunlight. One by one, we all filed out the door, waving goodbye to our home.

Onward to adventure.

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(cheers) YES! I finally got this chapter done! (dances wildly) R&R please! If you do, I'll give you _Humans and Their Existence _as a reward!!


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